Tag Archives: Peggy Mayfield

A public open house will be held by the group “I-69 Development Partners” to allow the public to address the planned construction on I-69 Section 5 between Bloomington and Martinsville; A recent study from Indiana University associate
professors of the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Ashlyn Nelson and Beth Gazley, found that the number public school-supporting charities rose dramatically from 1995 to 2010, as did the impact of their fundraising efforts; According to a press release from a private literary foundation, two authors with Indiana origins have won Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana Authors Awards; Indiana University is investing $7 million in a new Complexity Institute; After months of discussion, Ellettsville won’t be combining its streets and utilities departments.

FEATURE
The Republican Party caucus in the state assembly has released its legislative agenda for the upcoming 2015 session. The statement lists what the GOP describes as four major issue categories that it wants to address: budget, education, ethics, and public safety. The Daily Local News asked Peggy Mayfield, Republican house member for District 60 – Martinsville, which includes part of Bloomington and Monroe County, to talk about these issues and others. With regard to the budget, the party aims for a balanced budget with no increase in taxes or borrowing. However, recently, revenues have fallen below earlier expectations. We asked Representative Mayfield how her colleagues plan to deal with this potential shortfall.

CREDITS
Anchors: Casey Kuhn, Chris Martin
Today’s headlines were written by David Murphy, Anson Shupe and Cathi Norton
Along with Joe Crawford for CATSweek, a partnership with Community Access
Television Services.
Our feature correspondent is David Murphy
The Ins and Outs of Money is produced by Ryan Stacey and Dan Withered, in partnership with the Monroe County Public Library and The United Way of Monroe County.
Our engineer today is Anna Legge
Our theme music is provided by the Impossible Shapes.
Managing Producer is Joe Crawford
Executive Producer is Alycin Bektesh.

The Republican Party caucus in the state assembly has released its legislative agenda for the upcoming 2015 session. The statement lists what the GOP describes as four major issue categories that it wants to address: budget, education, ethics, and public safety. With regard to the budget, the party aims for a balanced budget with no increase in taxes or borrowing. However, recently, revenues have fallen below earlier expectations.

Rep. Mayfield explains how her colleagues plan to deal with this potential shortfall.

“We want to maintain the surplus and reserve because those revenues could come in shy of expectations,” Mayfield says. “And that has happened before, especially during the recession.”

For education, the caucus promises to increase funding and fix the funding formula.

Rep. Mayfield said that specific expenditure requests would have to await final state income receipt figures. Under Indiana’s public school funding formula, lower income districts receive more than higher income districts in order to pay for special services such as subsidized meals and supplemental teaching.

“There’s a huge disparity in the formula,” Mayfield says. “Carmel receives the lowest funding while East Chicago receives the highest. Prior to last year the disparity was even greater and they’re closing the gap. I think what we need to look at is the foundation of that forumula.”

The most recent ethics scandal was around Republican Representative Eric Turner’s behind-the-scenes-effort to kill a bill which may have negatively affected his family’s private business interests. He was exonerated of any wrongdoing by his colleagues.

Since then, numerous other examples of Republican legislators with obvious conflicts of interest not recusing themselves from debates have come light.

“This week we will be meeting with national ethics experts on best practices,” Mayfield says. “I think this will be good in continuing the public confidence in our elected leaders. It also helps elected officials understand a more clearer definition of the line you cannot cross.”

The focus of the Republican’s public safety agenda is domestic violence. No mention is made of changes in the law around this issue, rather the GOP promises to invest funds in and work with the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

“I think by focusing efforts on current programs and not trying to put new, state-level programs in place we can help more people,” Mayfield says.

The environmental protection agency has tasked states with reducing their reliance on coal burning, citing it’s direct impact on global warming. Indiana’s primary electricity source is coal, and jobs related to coal use are the main industry in certain parts of the state.

“80 percent of our electricity comes from coal and that’s not an insignificant figure,” Mayfield says.

A major issue during the 2014 legislative session was marriage equality in Indiana. This fall the Supreme Court declined to reexamine the issue, letting stand lower court rulings in several states, including Indiana, thereby legalizing same-sex marriage.

Shortly after taking office in 2013, Representative Mayfield stated that she would remain open on the issue of same-sex marriage until either voters or the court made a final decision. Representative Mayfield won her seat two years ago, switching the long time district seat from democrat to republican after redistricting in 2011. Her democratic challenger for the November 4th election is Daymon Brodhacker.

On February 1st, local legislators sat down to summarize recent activities in the statehouse in one of their quarterly legislative updates. Speakers included: Bob Heaton, Peggy Mayfield, Eric Cook, Matt Pierce and Mark Stoops. This event was recorded on location at the Showers Building by Community Access Television Services for Standing Room Only on WFHB.

Indiana University Men’s Basketball archived a big win last night against the previously unbeaten Wisconsin Badgers; The Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department announced today that it is looking for someone to serve a two-year term on its Environmental Resources Advisory Council, or ERAC; State Representative Peggy Mayfield was appointed to the House Ways and Means Committee last week by Speaker Brian C. Bosma; On January 9th the Monroe County Solid Waste Management District’s Board of Directors turned away a pro-recycling activist who asked to be on the District’s advisory committee.

FEATURE
Indiana Governor Mike Pence delivered his 2014 State of the State address last night, to a joint session of the Indiana General Assembly in the House Chambers. We bring you some of that speech now, for today’s WFHB feature report.

CREDITS
Anchors: Cathi Norton, Kelly Wherley
Today’s headlines were written by Drew Daudelin and Alycin Bektesh,
Along with Joe Crawford for CATSweek, in partnership with Community Access Television services.
Bloomington Beware was produced by Richard Fish,
Ilze Akerbergs produced our feature.
Our engineer today is Jim Lang,
Editor is Drew Daudelin,
Executive Producer is Alycin Bektesh.

The Monroe County Commission approved a new law August 23rd aimed at keeping homeless people from sleeping on the Courthouse lawn; Airline passengers should be prepared to face higher ticket prices and less service if the proposed merger between US Airways and American Airlines goes through, according to a local expert on anti-trust and consumer law; State Representative Peggy Mayfield will be joining members of the National Federation of Independent Business at a field hearing on Wednesday, August 28 in Bloomington; Bloomington bus riders now have a new alternative technological option with the introduction of a GPS real-time mapping system; Changes to the construction project at Griffy Dam will save about $17,000, according to Bloomington Utilities Department engineer.

FEATURE
Documents: I-69 Contractors Have Histories of Violations
Crews with vacuum trucks and other equipment are still working this week to clean up eroded soil along the planned path of Interstate 69 in southern Monroe County. Storms earlier this summer caused sediment to flow away from I-69 construction sites and into local waterways after contractors failed to control the erosion. The sediment can make it difficult for aquatic life to survive in the local creeks and streams, and some nearby residents worry their water supplies could be contaminated. Now, documents shared with WFHB have revealed this summer’s erosion problems were only the most recent in a long line of violations committed by contractors building I-69. Assistant News Director Joe Crawford has that story for today’s WFHB feature exclusive.

INS AND OUTS OF MONEY
Thinking about getting a new feathered or furry friend? Emily Herr from the Bloomington Animal Shelter is back again to discuss how adding a new pet can effect your finances.

CREDITS
Anchors: Shayne Laughter, Bill Daugherty
Today’s headlines were written by David Murphy, Yvonne Cheng, and Anson Shupe
Along with Joe Crawford for CATSweek, in partnership with Community Access Television services
Today’s feature was produced by Joe Crawford
The Ins and Outs of Money is produced by Dan Withered, along with the Monroe County Public Library and and Monroe County United Way
Our engineer is Harrison Wagner
Executive Producer is Alycin Bektesh